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Affiliate guide

How referral tracking works, what you earn, how you get paid, and how to pitch Slappcard to artists. Written for managers, promoters, A&Rs, playlisters, studio folks — anyone who refers artists to tools.

The program is first-party — Slappcard owns tracking, the commission ledger, and payouts in Convex. There is no Impact, ShareASale, or Rewardful in the middle. You deal with Slappcard, not a network.

Where things live (staging app):

WhatURL
Program + signuphttps://staging.slappcard.com/affiliate-program
Your dashboardhttps://staging.slappcard.com/affiliate
Referral (query)https://staging.slappcard.com/?ref=YOURCODE
Referral (short)https://staging.slappcard.com/r/YOURCODE

Both referral forms do the same job. Use whichever is easier to paste into a bio, a DM, or a flyer.

1. Program overview​

Slappcard sells physical NFC/QR cards that unlock a private listening/download page. Fans tap or scan, land on the artist's page, and their email flows back to the artist. It's an upgrade over CD duplication at a fraction of the cost.

What you get as an affiliate:

  • A unique referral code and link — every sale attributed to your code is yours.
  • 10% commission on each referred artist's first completed Slapp Pack purchase (default; ops can set a different rate for you).
  • A live dashboard with clicks, referrals, and money owed vs. paid.
  • Direct credit — your code rides from click to Stripe Checkout. No last-click theft by a third-party network.

Who this is for: managers promoting clients, promoters and venue folks who talk to dozens of artists a month, music industry connectors whose recommendations artists actually act on. There's no fee to join, and no minimum sales requirement.

How to join: Go to https://staging.slappcard.com/affiliate-program and submit the free signup form, or email slapcardz@gmail.com with the subject "Affiliate program signup." Slappcard creates your affiliate profile and unique code, then links it to your signed-in account so /affiliate unlocks. Until that link exists, the dashboard shows a "no code linked yet" state.

2. How it works​

Every affiliate gets a unique, URL-safe code (lowercase). Your link comes in two interchangeable forms:

  • https://staging.slappcard.com/?ref=YOURCODE
  • https://staging.slappcard.com/r/YOURCODE

/?ref= works on the marketing home (and other pages that capture ref). /r/YOURCODE is a dedicated landing that saves the code and points the visitor toward home or packs.

  1. The click is validated. Slappcard looks up your code. If the code is unknown, or your status is not active, the click is not recorded.
  2. The click is recorded (active codes only). An affiliateClicks row is written with the landing path and timestamp, so you can see which links pull traffic.
  3. The code is saved on the visitor's device. The code is written to a cookie (slappcard_affiliateCode, 30 days, SameSite=Lax) and to localStorage under the same key. No account needed — the code rides with the browser.

Important: The visitor does not need to create an account for attribution to start. The code is saved the moment they land. Checkout later reads that stored code and sends it through Stripe as order metadata.

2.3 Click → cookie → first pack → owed → paid​

flowchart TD
  A["Visitor hits /?ref=CODE or /r/CODE"] --> B{"Code exists and status is active?"}
  B -->|No| C["Click not recorded"]
  B -->|Yes| D["Click recorded"]
  D --> E["Code saved on device<br/>cookie 30 days + localStorage"]
  C --> E
  E --> F["Artist signs in and opens checkout"]
  F --> G["Cart reads stored code<br/>passes it to Stripe as metadata"]
  G --> H{"Affiliate still active?"}
  H -->|No| I["Order has no affiliate — no commission"]
  H -->|Yes| J["Pending purchase stores your affiliate"]
  J --> K["Artist pays — pack is fulfilled"]
  K --> L{"This artist's first completed pack?"}
  L -->|No| M["No new commission"]
  L -->|Yes| N["Referral + ledger row created as owed"]
  N --> O["Slappcard pays you off-platform<br/>admin marks the row paid"]

Numbered, same path:

  1. Click — visitor opens your link.
  2. Cookie — your code is stored on their device for 30 days (a later affiliate click replaces it).
  3. Artist — they sign up or sign in and go to buy a pack. Your code does not have to be on the artist profile; checkout reads the device.
  4. First pack — they complete Stripe Checkout. The stored code is attached to the order.
  5. Owed — when that payment is fulfilled, if this is the artist's first completed pack and your code was still active, a commission row is written as owed.
  6. Paid — Slappcard transfers funds (check or bank transfer; PayPal/Venmo by arrangement) and an admin marks the ledger paid.

2.4 Attribution rules (what the code actually does)​

The stored code is last click on that device, not first-touch:

RuleWhat it means for you
Last stored code winsIf the visitor later clicks someone else's ?ref= or /r/ link, that later code overwrites yours on their device. Checkout uses whatever is stored at pay time.
30-day cookieThe cookie expires after 30 days. Checkout reads localStorage (same key), which lasts until they clear site data or another code overwrites it. Follow up while you're still top of mind.
Active at checkoutYour status must be active when the artist starts checkout, or the order will not attach your affiliate.
First completed pack onlyOne commission per artist: their first pack that reaches fulfilled (or paid). Repeat orders by the same artist do not stack.
No signup lockreferredByAffiliateId on the artist profile is not used today. Credit is decided at checkout + fulfillment, from the stored code.

2.5 Rules of the road​

  • One commission per artist. You earn on the referred artist's first completed pack. Recurring / bounty models are settings-shaped for later — not live.
  • Self-referral is forbidden. You cannot earn on an artist account you own or control. This is a program rule reviewed by Slappcard ops (not an automatic checkout block).
  • Inactive links don't track. If your status is paused or disabled, clicks are not recorded and checkout will not attach your affiliate.
  • Unknown codes don't count. A typo or dead code is not written as a click. The visitor may still have something saved on the device; it will not commission unless it resolves to an active affiliate at checkout.
  • 30-day window. Get them to click and check out while your code is still on the device. A later competitor click, or a cleared browser, drops you.

3. Commission structure​

3.1 The rate​

10% of the referred artist's first completed pack purchase — a one-time commission.

  • App setting: affiliateCommissionBps = 1000 (1000 basis points = 10%).
  • Mode: percent_first_pack (the only mode today).
  • Slappcard ops can set a per-affiliate BPS override. Your dashboard copy currently reads "default 10% first pack"; the ledger amount is what you actually earn.

Commission math: round(pack amount in cents × bps / 10,000). On a $100 pack at 10%, that is $10.00.

3.2 What 10% looks like​

Catalog list prices (100 cards each):

PackCardsArtist paysYour commission (10%)
QR Pack100$100$10.00
Metallic Pack100$125$12.50
Boss Pack100$150$15.00

Every pack is 100 custom printed cards with hosting, the private fan gate, a branded artist page, and email capture on every scan.

If the artist buys more than one pack in the same first checkout, you still get one commission (first completed pack for that artist), not a cut of every line.

3.3 How commissions are tracked​

Every commission is a row in a commission ledger with the amount in cents, the referral and purchase it came from, and a status:

  • owed — earned on a fulfilled first pack, waiting for payout.
  • paid — paid out (timestamp + which admin marked it).
  • void — canceled (for example after a refund). Ops can void a row; a refund does not always auto-void.

Your dashboard shows two money numbers: Owed (sum of owed rows) and Paid (sum of paid rows).

A pending or cancelled order never writes a commission. The row is created when the pack is fulfilled after payment.

3.4 Payouts​

Current (MVP): Payouts are manual. Slappcard transfers funds — check or bank transfer, on a regular schedule — then an admin marks the ledger rows paid. Payment instructions (PayPal, Venmo, etc.) can be noted on your affiliate profile (payoutNotes).

There is no self-serve "request payout" button and no Stripe Connect automated transfers today. Those are phase 2 / roadmap.

A commission is only paid after the artist's purchase is completed and fulfilled. A pending or refunded order should not be paid out; if a row was already written, ops can void it.

4. Your affiliate dashboard (/affiliate)​

Sign in and open https://staging.slappcard.com/affiliate. The dashboard unlocks once Slappcard has linked your affiliate code to your account and your role is affiliate (admins can also open it). Until then it shows a friendly "no code linked yet" state pointing you to the program page.

Sidebar sections: Overview (/affiliate), Referral links (/affiliate/links), Earnings (/affiliate/earnings).

Overview​

Four numbers up top:

StatWhat it means
ClicksRecorded hits on your links (recent activity)
ReferralsConverted attributions created when a first pack fulfills
OwedCommission sitting in the ledger as owed
PaidCommission marked paid to date

Plus:

  • Your link — /?ref=YOURCODE and /r/YOURCODE, with Copy referral URL (copies the full https://staging.slappcard.com/?ref=YOURCODE from the site you're on).
  • Your status — active / paused / disabled badge.
  • Recent clicks — last 10 recorded clicks with landing path and timestamp. Best self-check in the program: open your own link and watch it appear.

The same link and copy controls, plus the recent-clicks feed — share, copy, and verify in one place.

Earnings​

  • Outstanding — current owed total.
  • Paid to date — lifetime payouts marked on the ledger.
  • Detailed ledger rows live in Admin → Affiliates → Commissions. Self-serve payouts are phase 2.

5. Promoting Slappcard to artists​

5.1 Know the pitch​

Slappcard sells against CD duplication: a typical run of ~500 pressed CDs costs $500+ (plastic, freight, no fan emails). A Slapp Pack starts at $100 for 100 cards and includes:

  • A private, card-only listening/download page — no algorithm, no public storefront.
  • Email capture on every scan — fans' emails land in the artist's own mailing list.
  • Live QR within 24 hours of ordering.
  • A 30-day money-back guarantee (defective or multiple non-working cards, returned in full).

The one-line pitch: "A hundred physical download cards for $100, and every single person who scans it joins your email list."

  • Direct recommendations — artists you manage, mentor, or regularly advise. A personal DM beats any ad.
  • Shows and industry events — put /r/YOURCODE on business cards, flyers, or tell artists face-to-face. QR-friendly.
  • Artist communities — Discord, Facebook groups, Reddit for indie musicians (respect each community's promo rules).
  • Email lists — a dedicated mention with your full /?ref= URL converts.
  • Social bios and posts — Instagram, TikTok, X bios are the cheapest real estate you own.
  • Studio and production circles — engineers, producers, and studios who see artists spend money every week.

5.3 Message templates that work​

For a manager (1:1):

"Hey — have you seen Slappcard? It's physical NFC/QR music cards instead of CDs. A hundred cards run you $100, and every fan who scans one lands on a private page and joins your email list. Your next single drop could hand out something people actually keep. Worth a look: https://staging.slappcard.com/?ref=YOURCODE"

For a group / community:

"For any artist still pricing out CD duplication: Slappcard does 100 NFC/QR download cards from $100, with a private listening page and email capture on every scan. I'm an affiliate so my code is in my profile — happy to answer questions either way."

Keep it honest: disclose your affiliate link when a platform expects it, and don't spam.

5.4 What actually works​

  • Test your own link first. Open https://staging.slappcard.com/?ref=YOURCODE and confirm the click shows up under Recent clicks. If you can't see it, neither can your attribution.
  • Always use your link, not a screenshot. A homepage screenshot without your code earns nothing.
  • Follow up inside the window. The 30-day cookie starts at the click. A later affiliate link on the same device replaces you.
  • Time it to artist moments. Album announcements, tour planning, merch discussions, "how do I monetize my fans" conversations.
  • Lead with a specific example, not a generic pitch — "my last three clients switched from CDs" over "check this out."

6. FAQ​

Who can join the affiliate program? Anyone — managers, promoters, A&Rs, playlist curators, studio owners, or fans of the product. Apply free at https://staging.slappcard.com/affiliate-program or email slapcardz@gmail.com.

Does it cost anything to join? No. Joining, your code, and your dashboard are free. You earn when artists you refer buy packs.

How much can I earn? Default 10% of each referred artist's first pack purchase: $10 on the $100 QR Pack, $12.50 on the $125 Metallic Pack, $15 on the $150 Boss Pack. No cap on how many artists you refer. Ops can set a different BPS for you.

Do I earn on an artist's repeat purchases? Not currently. One commission per referred artist (first completed pack only). Recurring and bounty models are on the roadmap — rates and mode live in app settings.

How is a sale attributed to me? The visitor's device stores your code (cookie + localStorage). At checkout, that stored code is sent with the Stripe session. If your affiliate is still active, the purchase is tagged. When the first pack for that artist is fulfilled, a referral and an owed commission are written.

Is it first-touch or last-click? Last stored code on that device. A later ?ref= or /r/ click overwrites yours. There is no first-touch lock on the artist profile today.

What if the artist checks out more than 30 days after clicking my link? The cookie is set for 30 days. If they still have the code in the browser (and nobody else's link replaced it), checkout can still pick it up. If the code is gone, the sale will not attribute. Follow up inside the window.

When do I get paid? Commissions accrue as owed when the artist's first pack is fulfilled. Payouts run on a regular schedule via check or bank transfer (PayPal/Venmo can be noted on your profile). An admin then marks the ledger paid. Automated / Stripe Connect payouts are not live.

What happens if an artist's purchase is refunded? Unfulfilled orders never create a commission. If a commission was already written and the order is refunded, it should not be paid; ops can mark the ledger row void.

Can I refer myself or my own artist project? No. Self-referrals are forbidden — your own artist account can't generate commission for you. Enforced by Slappcard ops.

What if someone else shares my link? Any click on a link that contains your code attributes to you — until another affiliate code is saved on that device. Share your own link to be sure.

Can my rate change? Default is 10%. Ops can set a per-affiliate override, and program settings can change with notice. The ledger uses the BPS in effect at fulfillment (override, else the 10% default).

What does paused or disabled status mean? active — clicks record and checkout can attach you. paused — tracking off (for example during a review). disabled — code shut down: no clicks recorded, no new commissions. Slappcard will tell you before your status changes.

Is there a minimum sales threshold? No minimum to join and no quota. Payouts run on Slappcard's regular schedule.

Why doesn't my dashboard load? You must be signed in, have role affiliate (or admin), and have an affiliate code linked to your user. Apply on /affiliate-program if you don't have a code yet.

7. Terms summary​

The short version — the affiliate terms in plain words:

  1. Commission: 10% (affiliateCommissionBps = 1000) of the referred artist's first completed (paid and fulfilled) pack purchase, one-time. Mode is percent_first_pack. Per-affiliate BPS overrides possible; rates can change with notice.
  2. Attribution: Last stored code on the visitor's device. Cookie + localStorage (slappcard_affiliateCode), 30-day cookie. Checkout sends the code as Stripe metadata. Credit is decided at fulfillment, not at artist signup.
  3. Eligible activity: Only completed, fulfilled first-pack purchases tagged with an active affiliate. Repeat packs by the same artist do not commission.
  4. Prohibited: Self-referrals (your own artist account), fake traffic, cookie stuffing, or anything designed to manufacture attribution. Fraud review is manual; heuristics are on the roadmap.
  5. Status: Codes are active, paused, or disabled. Only active codes record clicks and attach at checkout.
  6. Payouts: Manual, on Slappcard's regular schedule (check or bank transfer; PayPal/Venmo by arrangement). Ledger: owed → paid (or void). No Stripe Connect automation today; self-serve payouts are phase 2.
  7. Program changes: Slappcard may adjust rates, attribution rules, or terms with reasonable notice. Your dashboard reflects your current status; the ledger reflects what you earned.

Questions not covered here? Email slapcardz@gmail.com — same inbox the signup flow uses.